The subject invention relates to electrical connectors or shorting jacks used in switching, connecting, or programming electronic circuitry. Typically, the circuitry is contained on a printed circuit board, and the outputs of the circuitry are connected to electrically conductive pin members which extend perpendicular to the surface of the printed circuit board. In accordance with a particular application, it may be desirable to electrically connect a pair of outputs on a printed circuit board. Known devices for effecting this electrical connection typically comprise female electrical connectors or shorting jacks. Generally, the jacks consist of an electrically nonconductive housing which encases a generally U-shaped conductor, the leg portions of the U-shaped conductor being female sockets or receptacles for receiving the pair of output pins. The base of the U-shaped conductor effects the electrical connection between the two printed circuit board pins. The conductive receptacles of the shorting jack usually include internal spring fingers so as to effect a spring retention of the pin members once inserted therein. It has been found, that these known shorting jacks have several shortcomings. For example, the pressure required to overcome the spring finger tension within the shorting jack during insertion and withdrawal of the jack tends to damage both the printed circuit board pins and the jack itself after a period of use. There are devices on the market that tend to effect a "zero insertion force" by freely receiving mating components without contact pressure, but typically, these devices are costly to manufacture and are somewhat complex in structure in that they require mechanisms, cams, or actuators that must be manually activated to apply the necessary contact pressure to retain the pin once it has been engaged in the device. Another shortcoming of known devices is that the female receptacles in the devices for receiving the circuit board pins must generally be plated with a precious metal, and because of the relatively extensive area to be plated, manufacturing costs tend to be undesirably high.
Accordingly, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved shorting jack which is simple in construction, and which minimizes the necessary metallic area to be plated.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a shorting jack having the above characteristics which minimizes the contact pressure required in engaging the mating components without the need for separate mechanisms such as cams, or actuators.